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Pioneer Cemetery (Pleasant Hill Cemetery)
Lincoln Township, Lincoln County, South Dakota

T96N R50W Sec 32

Lat: 43°11'05"N, Lon: 96°46'33"W

Contributed by Brian Hass, Dec 06, 2001 [brian_m_hass@hotmail.com].
Total records = 73.

Pioneer Cemetery (originally known as Pleasant Hill Cemetery) is located in section 32 of Lincoln Township in Lincoln County, South Dakota. The cemetery can be reached by traveling seven miles north from Beresford, SD on Lincoln County's 472 Avenue (Old 77) and then traveling about half a mile west on Lincoln County's 290th Street. The cemetery is located on the south side of this road and is well labelled.

In 1893, the Pioneer People's Church Corporation was formed; and, the Pioneer Ladies' Aid was organized. Wendall Fockler deeded land for the cemetery to the Ladies Aid during that same year. The building for the church was erected in section 29 of Lincoln Township in 1900. The church was to be known as the People's Union Church; and, it housed three denominations, each of which took a turn for services. The church continued until about 1925, after which it was dismantled when improvements in automotive travel allowed people to attend other churches. However, the Pioneer Ladies' Aid continued independently; and, its chief concern was the upkeep of Pioneer Cemetery.

Pioneer Ladies' Aid financed the fencing, landscaping, and mowing of the cemetery over the years. Money was raised through an annual bazaar and bake sale in the fall. Officers of the Pioneer Ladies Aid were also responsible for the cemetery records and map, which recorded nearly 80 graves. However, some records were lost; and, some of the graves were left unmarked.

The cemetery was surveyed by Brian M. Hass on November 2, 2001 and was revisited for verification of information on December 6, 2001. The following sources were used as references for some historical information listed above.

1) "Pioneer Cemetery," pg 79, Beresford_100_Years, published in 1983 by the "Beresford Republic" and the "Lennox Independent."

2) "Pioneer Church," pg 72, Beresford_100_Years, published in 1983 by the "Beresford Republic" and the "Lennox Independent."

3) "Pleasant Hill Cemetery," October 1989. This article on the Beresford Cemetery was written by the G. F. W. C. study clubs for the South Dakota state centennial.

4) "Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Record of Graves," October 1989. These records include names, grave and lot numbers, years of death, and calculated ages at time of death. The ages listed in the document were calculated from only the years of birth and death; and, it was noted that the listed ages were wrong by a year in cases in which the months of death were earlier in the year than the months of birth.

The following listing includes transcriptions of genealogical data from all visible grave markers. Information on known unmarked graves was obtained from the fourth source listed above.

- Brian Hass

Anderson, A. L., no dates in record, probably unmarked, lot 76, grv. 80
Arioso, Elmer, d. 1898, age 2y, probably unmarked, lot 22, grv. 6
Boynton, Julia H., b. 16 Oct 1833, d. 21 Sep 1909, "Wife of S. J. Boynton"
Boynton, Samuel J., b. 1 Dec 1828, d. 9 Jan 1913
Brockman, Herman, b. 1864, d. 1946, s/w M. Lizzie Brockman
Brockman, Infant, b. 3 Apr 1901, d. 4 Apr 1901, "Infant Son of L. M. and H. Brockman," s/w Lizzie M. Brockman
Brockman, Lizzie M., b. 15 Aug 1864, d. 7 Apr 1901, "Wife of Herman Brockman," listed as M. Lizzie Brockman on marker shared with Herman Brockman, s/w "Infant Son" Brockman
Covert, Charles, b. 1869, d. 1942
Covert, Mary A., b. 1833, d. 1900, "His Wife," s/w Wm. Covert
Covert, Wm., b. 1824, d. 1903, s/w Mary A. Covert
Cox, Harry, d. 1909, probably unmarked, lot 66, grv. 7
Dann, Abraham, b. 26 Apr 1813, d. 12 May 1874, "Father"
Dann, Catharine Elizabeth, b. 8 Nov 1831, d. 20 Jul 1902, "Mother"
Dann, Fred J., b. 14 Jan 1856, d. 10 Mar 1915, "Son"
Dann, Infant, b. 1 May 1908, d. 2 May 1908, "Infant Son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Dann"
Davis, Homer, d. 1892, age 2d, probably unmarked, lot 45, grv. 6
Drey, Lizzie P., b. 20 Nov 1875, d. 20 Nov 1897, s/w Sydney D. Drey
Drey, Sydney D., b. 5 Jun 1896, d. 30 Nov 1896, s/w Lizzie P. Drey
Fackler, Therina Willis, b. 18 Nov 1818, d. 28 Mar 1904
Farmer, Edgar Petty, b. 12 Apr 1850, d. 7 Nov 1935
Farmer, Linda E. Boynton, b. 9 Dec 1857, d. 8 Sep 1887
Frankman, Will, b. 1871, d. 1944
Frinkman, Barbara, b. 27 Mar 1852, d. 26 Nov 1901, age 49y 7m 29d
Gibson, Charles A., b. 3 Oct 1868, d. 3 Feb 1945, s/w Lillian M. Gibson
Gibson, Lillian M., b. 3 Feb 1872, d. 20 May 1948, s/w Charles A. Gibson
Hodge, Louise Boynton, b. 12 Mar 1856, d. 1 Jan 1905
Jepp, Anna, b. 1877, d. 1967, "Mother"
Jepp, Emil W., b. 1897, d. 1952, "Son"
Jepp, Ernest C., b. 1900, d. 1960, "Son"
Jepp, Henry A., b. 1 Dec 1894, d. 19 Mar 1963, "South Dakota Pvt 34 Balloon Co Air Svc World War I"
Jepp, Infant, d. 15 Mar 1899, age 5d, "Infant Son of John and Anna Jepp"
Jepp, Johannes H., b. 1864, d. 1925, "Father"
Knowles, George F., d. 5 Mar 1879, age 22y 2m 1d, "Son of O. V. and S. A. Knowles"
Koons, Geo. B., b. 1828, d. 1903, s/w Lucinda E. Koons
Koons, Lucinda E., b. 1832, d. 1900, s/w Geo. B. Koons
Landon, Geo., no dates, "Co. H. 41 Wis. Inf.," old marker
Lowery, Arthur, b. 22 Sep 1861, d. 10 Nov 1904, s/w Clarence Lowery
Lowery, Clarence, b. 20 Jul 1873, d. 10 Dec 1904, s/w Arthur Lowery
Millage, Alfred James, b. 30 Apr 1904, d. 29 Oct 1983, "Pvt US Army World War II,""Son"
Millage, Child, no dates in record, listed as child, probably unmarked, lot 59, grv. 2-7
Millage, Child, no dates in record, listed as child, probably unmarked, lot 59, grv. 3-6
Millage, Child, no dates in record, listed as child, probably unmarked, lot 59, grv. 4-5
Millage, Edward, b. 12 Jun 1909, d. 13 Jun 1909, "Baby"
Millage, John, b. 1876, d. 1911, "Father"
Millage, Minnie E., b. 1885, d. 1963, "Mother"
Moore, Infant, d. 1938 or 39, probably unmarked, listed as infant, lot 38, grv. 7
Nott, Alice M., d. 31 May 1893, age 42y 5m 12d, "Wife of W. T. Nott,""Mother's Grave"
Nott, R., no dates in record, listed as child, probably unmarked, lot 46
Nott, W. T., no dates in record, probably unmarked, lot 46, grv. 1-8
Peck, Helen H., d. 7 Aug 1871, age 2y 4m, "Dau. of T. S. and R. E. Peck"
Rasmussen, Audley, b. 1909, d. 1910, "Son of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Rasmussen"
Rhea, Bessie, b. 9 Sep 1859, d. 26 Nov 1938
Rhea, David A., b. 1 Feb 1862, d. 28 May 1940
Rhea, Infant, d. 1895, listed as infant, probably unmarked, lot 55, grv. 8
Ridge, Infant, d. 15 Jan 1912, "Infant Son of T. L. and H. A. Ridge"
Rohrabough, Infant, d. 1917, age 1y, probably unmarked, lot 53, grv. 7
Rohrabough, J. F., no dates in record, probably unmarked, lot 53, grv. 8
Shull, Ed, no dates in record, listed as infant, probably unmarked, lot 26, grv. 6
Shull, Leotta May, d. 5 May 1897, age 1m 1d
Smelker, Adeline M., b. 9 Apr 1862, d. 5 May 1904, "Mother," s/w Theodore W. and Victor Smelker
Smelker, Theodore W., b. 16 Oct 1840, d. 27 Jul 1915, "Father," s/w Adeline M. and Victor Smelker
Smelker, Victor, b. 16 Nov 1883, d. 30 Apr 1888, s/w Theodore W. and Adeline M. Smelker
Stengel, Lorine L., b. 2 Sep 1900, d. 1 Dec 1900, "Dau. of W. F. and Ida M. Stengel"
Straight, Nancy A., d. 20 Jan 1882, age 83y, s/w John T. and Lizzie A. Whitlow
Webber, Clara Farmer, b. 1883, d. 1968, "Mother"
Whitlow, John T., b. 1821, d. 12 Jun 1888, age 67y, "Corp L,""Co. D. 18th Ill. Inf.," s/w Nancy A. Straight and Lizzie A. Whitlow
Whitlow, Lizzie A., d. 14 Mar 1891, age 22y, s/w Nancy A. Straight and Lizzie A. Whitlow
Whitlow, Mary, b. 22 Jun 1894, d. 22 Jun 1894, "Daughters of B. T. and E. J. Whitlow," s/w Yrma Whitlow
Whitlow, Yrma, b. 22 Jun 1894, d. 4 Jul 1894, "Daughters of B. T. and E. J. Whitlow," s/w Mary Whitlow
Wiebers, Auguste L., b. 22 Jun 1836, d. 5 Sep 1912
Wiebers, Claus J., b. 26 May 1837, d. 3 Nov 1910
Wiebers, Louise E. M., b. 10 Sep 1906, d. 10 Aug 1911, "Daughter"
Young, Marian A., b. 1822, d. 1904, "Mother"